Pants,undershorts and patterns therefor

ABSTRACT

BRIEFS MADE OF ONE PIECE WITH THE SEAMS NEAR THE OUTSIDE OF THE CROTCH AREA. THE PATTERN HAS A GENERALLY V SHAPED CUT IN THE BOTTOM MIDDLE, WITH THE ANGLE OF SEPARATION DIMINISHING NEAR THE SEPARATED END OF THE V. THE PATTERN IS CUT AWAY AND REMOVED BETWEEN THE MERGING END OF THE V AND ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF THE WIDTH OF THE V. THE OUTSIDE MARGINS OF THE PATTERN ARE CUT IN THREE STRAIGHT LINES OF LENGTH, ANGLES AND RELATIVE POSITIONS GENERALLY MATCHING THE CORRESPONDING CUTS AT THE V. THE BRIEFS ARE MADE BY FORMING THE FLY, THEN SEWING THE CENTER OF THE V TO THE BOTTOM OF THE FLY, THEN SEWING THE LEGS, AND THEN FORMING THE HEMS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LEGS AND ATTACHING THE ELASTIC WAIST BAND. THE BRIEFS ARE COMFORTABLE AND LONG LASTING AND ARE EFFICIENTLY PRODUCED.

Oct. 12, 1971 Filed Oct. 21, 1969 M. A. BRAUN PANTS, UNDERSHORTS AND PATTERNS THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN'I'OR. MOLLY ARNOLD BRAUN ATTORNEY Oct. 12, 1971 M. A. BRAUN v 3,611,443

PANTS, UNDERSHORTS AND PATTERNS THEREFOR Filed Oct. 21, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5

I N V EN TOR. MOL L Y A RNOL D BRAUN BY LLQmKQJ M ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,611,443 PANTS, UNDERSHORTS AND PATTERNS THEREFOR Molly Arnold Braun, Lake City, Fla., assignor of fractional part interest to Robert L. Kenney, Lake City,

Fla.

Filed Oct. 21, 1969, Ser. No. 870,397 Int. Cl. A41b 9/02 US. Cl. 2224 R 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Briefs made of one piece with the seams near the outside of the crotch area. The pattern has a generally V shaped cut in the bottom middle, with the angle of separation diminishing near the separated end of the V. The pattern is cut away and removed between the merging end of the V and about the middle of the width of the V. The outside margins of the pattern are cut in three straight lines of lengths, angles and relative positions generally matching the corresponding cuts at the V. The briefs are made by forming the fly, then sewing the center of the V to the bottom of the fly, then sewing the legs, and then forming the hems at the bottom of the legs and attaching the elastic waist band. The briefs are comfortable and long lasting and are efficiently produced.

This invention relates to garments and to the production of garments. In particular, this invention relates -to pants, undershorts, and the like.

Since shorts, bathing suit pants, athletic trunks, and the like are in general use, improvements in such garments and in their manner of fabrication are highly desirable.

It is an object of this invention to provide pants and the'like which are better fitting and are more comfortable during wear.

It is another object of this invention to provide pants and the like having seams placed where they will not tend to cause discomfort and will be subject to less strain. It is a still further object of this invention to provide pants and the like which will exhibit properties conducive to long wear with repeated washings.

It is still another object of this invention to providepants and the like and a method of their manufacture I which are each more economical.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide pants and the like and a method for their manufacture which utilizes a single piece pattern, to thereby yield efificiencies in amount of material used and relative ease of the manufacturing steps.

It is another object of this invention to provide pants and the like and a method for their manufacture wherein waste cloth is minimized.

It is a specific object in accordance with certain aspects of this invention to provide pants and the like which may be fabricated simply and economically.

stantially greater stresses.

In accordance with this invention, pants and the like are provided which have crotch seams separated on one side and which come together across the garment to gen- 3,611,443 Patented Oct. 12, 1971 ice erally converge at the other side. This configuration puts a great part of the crotch seams near the side of the crotch rather than near the middle. The garment is made from a single pattern having a tab presevered with diverging sides generally of the same size and angle as the crotch seams of the final product. The other parts of the pattern near the crotch and at the sides of the pattern are also preformed to generally match in the final garment. During production the front is brought together and then the tab is sewed to the front to at least partially form the crotch and the other parts are sewed together.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will be more apparent after consideration of the following description of a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates the one piece pattern from which the male undershorts of the preferred embodiment are made;

FIG. 2 illustrates the forming of one fly flap;

FIG. 3 illustrates the forming of the other fly flap;

FIG. 4 illustrates the sewing together of the fly flaps;

FIG. 5 illustrates the sewing of the crotch and the leg seams;

FIG. 6 illustrates the final garment;

FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative pattern in accordance with this invention which might be used in certain instances as better suited to volume production;

FIG. 8 illustrates a folded position of the pattern of FIG. 7 used in fabricating the garment; and

FIG. 9 illustrates a second alternative pattern in accordance with this invention which achieves some added simplicity during fabrication and requires less fabric than the FIG. 7 alternative.

The preferred embodiment herein described is male undershorts, but it will be entirely apparent that this invention may be adapted for male and female garments of many kinds. FIG. 1 is described in detail with regard to male shorts of a size 34 inch through 38 inch waist. The same basic pattern and dimensions of the parts relative to one another may be used for different sized garments. Variations to accommodate exceptionally stout forms. and exceptionally slender forms are, of course, within the skill of the art.

The pattern 1 is made from a sheet of conventional tricot or knit fabric, preferably a light nylon or other synthetic, and may be cut, stamped with knives, or otherwise preformed into the configuration shown. It will be apparent from inspection of FIG. 1 that only relatively small amounts of fabric are cut away. Pattern 1 is cut to provide adequate room around the thighs, and the waist of the final garment frequently will be longer than otherwise necessary. The low bulk of nylon tricot (and other such fabrics such as any polyester blend tricot) contributes to a lack of objectional bulk which occurs when the extra length is pulled up around the waist of the wearer.

The pattern 1 is grossly rectangular, of long dimension of about 50 inches and short dimension of about 16 inches. Top margins 3 and 5 on the short dimension of pattern 1 are about 12 inches long, which is about percent of the overall length of the short dimension of pattern 1. They are followed by right angle cut portions 7 and 9, each of which are 1 /2 inches long. Then follow parts 11 and 13, which extend outwardly from the pattern 1 at an angle of about 10 degrees with the edge of the short dimension and are about 3 inches in length along the long dimension. Then follow sections 15 and 17, which extend inward toward pattern 1 as shown in FIG. 1 at about 10 degrees with the edge of the short dimension and which are about inch in length along the long dimension. The final parts to the bottom of the outer margins of pattern 1 are parts 19 and 21, which are generally parallel with the short dimension and are about /2 inch long. As will be further elaborated upon, the parts on the margin may take a number of quite different forms in accordance with this invention as long as they conform to the parts near the crotch.

The crotch portion is cut from the middle of the pattern 1. It is comprised of angled cuts 23 and 25, which together define a tab portion 27. Each of the cuts 23 and 25 is about 3 inches long. Cuts 23 and 25 converge at the center of the bottom long dimension of pattern 1 to define an end part of tab 27. They diverge outwardly initially at about 20 degrees to the edge of the long dimension. Near the end of the cuts 23 and 25 they are disposed at about 40 degrees from the edge of the long dimension. The maximum extension of cuts 23 and 25 in the direction of the short dimension of pattern 1 is about 1 /2 inches, which is about 10 percent of the total length of the short dimension of pattern 1. The maximum separation of cuts 23 and 25 is about 4 inches, and this width, varying only a small amount, is approximately the same for all garments for persons within normal size variations.

As shown in FIG. 1, cuts 23 and 25 are actually formed in smooth curves. This yields a somewhat neater appearance in the final garment. The dimensions are as described to provide crotch seams which are positioned to the outside of the crotch area of the garment. In the final garment, cut '23 is sewn to part 11 and cut 25 is sewn to part 13. The angle of parts 11 and 13 tends to conform to the position of parts 23 and 25. Similarly, parts defined by cuts 23 and 25 are sewn to parts 15 and 17, and those parts all are at generally conforming posi tions so that they can be brought together. In each instance, the fabric can and is readily compacted and may be stretched slightly to significantly contribute to the conformation needed, so the dimensions and sizes of the parts in the pattern need only conform generally.

The parts 29 and '31 are parts of pattern 1 on the side of cuts 23 and 25 near the bottom long dimension of pattern 1, and, in this preferred embodiment, are partially defined by cuts 23 and 25 where cuts 23 and 25 are relatively greatly separated. The bottom sides of the pattern 1 near the crotch are defined by vertical parts 33 and 35, each of which is about /2 inch long. Since the tab part 27 will define the middle of the crotch, parts 33 and 35 are generally in the middle of tab 27 with cloth further toward the center of tab 27 discarded. That defines the length of parts 29 and 31, the parts which directly influence the position of the leg seams relative to the width of the garment.

The bottom long dimensions 37 and 39, between the outside margins and the end near tab 27, are cut on a slight are extending into pattern 1. This provides a better appearance and fit in the final legs of the garment.

FABRICATION STEPS As shown in FIG. 2, the right vertical part is doubled over once, with the outer edge folded again to form a hem, positioned so that the hemmed edge of part 5 is substantially on a line parallel to the short dimension of pattern 1 and through the point where parts 9 and 13 intersect. One vertical row of stitches 41 is made from the bottom of part 5 to the top of pattern 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, the left vertical part 3 is folded back on a line parallel to the short dimension of pattern 1 and through the point where parts 7 and 11 intersect. The outer edge is folded back into a hem, and one row of stitches 43 is made from the bottom of part 3 at the point of fold upwardly and outwardly until near the edge of part 3 is reached and then vertically to substantially the top of pattern 1.

4 verging at the bottom of the fly supports the fl'y near the bottom. The rows of stitches 45, 47 and 49 all extend substantially to two horizontal bar stitches 51 and 53 which are made in the fly separated enough to leave an opening desired for the male undergarment.

The crotch and leg parts are matched as shown in FIG. 5. The top of the tab portion 27 is brought tothe bottom of the fly. Part 25 is matched with part 13, part 31 is matched with part 17, and part 35 is matched with part 21 to thereby define one half of the crotch and'one leg. The parts are stretched longitudinally slightly and the matching parts are stitched with an overcast stitch. (The overcast stitch has the property of stretching slightly during use.) Similarly, the corresponding parts are matched and stitched in the same way on the other side of the garment.

The legs are folded over so that the ends of parts 21 and 35 on the right leg contact the closest end of parts 17 and 31 to thereby define a 4 inch hem, which is then sewed with a zig-zag stitch. The hem of the other leg is formed in essentially the same way.

An elastic waist band '55 of conventional construction, is sewed to the top of the pattern around the entire garment formed. The finished garment is shown in FIG. 6. The garment is in general outline and in use the same as known garments. As is conventional, the elastic waist band 55 contracts around the wearer during use to hold the garment on the wearer. However, the crotch portion of the garment has tab portion 27 immediately under the seat, and the seams of the crotch portion are around the outside of the tab portion. Parts 17 and 31 and 15 and 29 serve to position the leg seams generally under the center of the crotch and the seams at parts 21 and 35 and 19 and 33 are positioned generally perpendicular to the waist portion in the finished garment. The garment is comfortable and strong. It is produced by easy and efiicient steps from a single piece pattern.

ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS Alternative forms of the pattern of the present invention are shown in FIGS. 7 and 9.

Alternative pattern 60, shown in FIG. 7, makes possible a more symmetrical and therefore simpler pattern and permits fabrication in which the two rows of stitches 41 and 43 to hem the fly are eliminated. However, the amount of material used in the pattern is increased. Use of pattern 60 would depend upon a balancing of the cost of material against the cost of available labor to make the garment.

The tab portion, situated on a long margin of the generally rectangular pattern 60 may be essentially identical to that described for the previous embodiment. Accordingly, part of the pattern material is cut away near the converging part of tab 27, forming generally vertical parts 33 and 35, which are contiguous with parts 29 and 31 respectively. The sides of tab 27 are sides 23 and 25.

The outer margins of pattern 60 are symmetrical and both are cut into three V shaped portions 62a, 62b, and 620, of angle and length generally conforming to the sides 23 and 25 of tab 27. The top of the VS 62 are at a point about 75 percent of the distance down from the long dimension 64 of pattern 60, which locates Vs 62 in positions conforming to the point at which the converging end of tab 27 will be brought in the final garment.

Parts 66 of the pattern 60 begin at the termination of the innermost edge of the innermost V 62a, and extend outwardly at an angle of 20 degrees with the edge of the short dimension of the pattern 60. Parts 66 extend continuously up to the last approximately one-half inch in length. The last end part 68 is generally vertical, and ultimately is to be folded upon itself to make a hem at the bottom of the legs of the final garment.

In the fabrication of the garment from the pattern 60 of FIG. 7, both end margins are first folded along the entire length on the lines separating the VS 62, which are shown in the drawing as imaginary lines 70. The outer V 620 is folded within Vs 6 2a and 62b. The folded parts are brought together as shown in FIG. 8 so the VS 62 substantially overlap to form a single V, with three layers formed by the Vs 62 of each margin.

The pattern 60 is then sewn to form a garment in a manner generally as above described for the first embodiment (in particular, see FIG. The sides 23 and 25 of tab 27 are each sewn to one side of the V 62 formed by the folded pattern. Parts 66- are sewn to the parts 25 and 29 on each side of the garment. The bottom margin parts 68 are sewn to the parts 33 and 35 on each side of the garment.

The other parts and the hem may be formed identically as described for the previous embodiment. For a male undergarment the rows of stitches 45, 47 and 49 would be identical to the prior embodiment. Since V 620 is folded inside, the outer edge of the margin is internal and the stitches which form the fly are sufficient so that no hem as such is needed for that part.

The pattern 80 shown in FIG. 9 is similar in many respects to the pattern 60 just described. The Vs 62d and '62e, two on each outer margin of the pattern 80 are essentially the same in size, configuration, and angular position as those of pattern 60. The pattern is cut to have a relatively small side part 82 extending up to margin 64 on the outward side of the outermost V 622.

The Vs 62d and 62a on each margin are folded over and the outermost edge part 82 is folded onto the V. A row of stitches along the part 82 from the part near Vs 62 up to the margin of the long dimension 64 is sewed on each side of pattern 80 to hold the Vs 62 in place. The two margins are then placed with the VS 62 overlapping to make one V essentially as described for the previous alternative embodiment and in connection with FIG. 8. The other steps in fabricating the final garment are also as described with regard to that embodiment.

Although the parts on the margin of the patterns 60 and '80 do not conform exactly in position and configuration to the parts near the tab 27, the appropriate parts may nevertheless be effectively matched and sewed together for permanent positioning as part of the garment. This is true because the fabric can and is readily compacted and may be stretched slightly to signficantly contribute to the conformation obtained.

These alternative embodiments incidentally serve as illustrations of the different forms which the outer margin of the pattern may take while still within the ambit of the invention.

It will be apparent from the above that modifications in form and dimensions and in intended use may be made without departing from the substance and spirit of this invention, and that therefore the preferred embodiment shown should not be considered to constitute a general limitation, but that the patent coverage should be in accordance with law, with particular reference to the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Blank means for forming pants comprising (1) a single piece blank of generally rectangular shape,

(a) the upper edge of said blank for forming the waist of the pants, (b) the lower edge of said blank opposite said waist edge for forming the legs and crotch of the pants,

(c) the side edges comprising a fly flap,

(2) the construction of the lower edge of said blank being defined by a first set of cuts on either side of the mid-line of said blank consisting of (a) a first pair of cuts extending generally perpendicular and (b) a second pair of angular cuts extending toward said side edges and upwardly and forming continuations of said first cuts,

(3) a downwardly extending tab member of generally semi-circular shape lying in the mid-line defined between said first set of cuts,

(4) the construction of the side edges of said blank being defined by a second set of cuts extending from the lower edge comprising (a) first and second cuts conforming in shape and dimension to the respective first and second pairs of cuts in said first set of cuts on either side of the mid-line of said blank,

(b) a third angular cut extending upwardly and toward the mid-line of said blank forming a continuation of said first and second cuts, the length of said third cut on each side being equal to about one-half of the edge dimension of said tab member,

(c) a fourth cut extending laterally through the side edges of said blank parallel with said waist edge and forming a continuation of said third cut, and

(5) fly flaps on either side of said blank defined by the remaining uncut portion of said side edges between said fourth cut and said waist edge.

2. The blank means of claim 1 wherein said second pair of angular cuts on either side of the mid-line of said blank extend toward said side edges and upwardly at an angle of about 40 to 50 from the line generally formed by said lower edge.

3. Pants formed from the blank means of claim 1, in which said laterally extending side fly flaps are folded on lines perpendicular with said waist edge and stitched on that line terminating at the point where said third and fourth cuts intersect, wherein said folded fly flaps are overlapped to form the pants fly, and joined at the upper portion of the overlap and at the point forming the junction of said third and fourth cuts, wherein said first set of cuts and said respective conforming cuts of said second set of cuts are joined forming the legs of the pants, where: in the apical mid-point of the edge of said tab member is connected to the said point of joining said third and fourth cuts, and the conforming third cuts of said second set of cuts are joined with the respective edges of said tabs.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,425,008 8/1922 Gross 2-224 2,544,486 3/1951 Brown 2-224 X 3,226,731 1/1966 Terry 2-224 FOREIGN PATENTS 307,652 3/ 1929 Great Britain 2-224 571,098 8/ 1945 Great Britain 2-224 H. HAMPTON HUNTER, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 2-238 

